Mission:Space : Flop?

[Gartdog]

I rode Mission:Space the year it opened with a huge crowd. As recently as Christmas 2006 I walked on in the middle of the day with almost no wait. And this was during the busy holiday season.

Has anyone been recently? What are the crowds like? I remember when it was being hailed as the next great experience, but it seems the negative reviews and too many people getting sick (or dying) have turned Mission:Space into a big dud for Epcot.

Has anyone seen differently lately?

 

[TrojanUSC]

Not really related, but I still like this article from this LA entertainment industry blog, regarding Mission:Space, right after the last death:

Disney World's "Mission: SPACE" ride, otherwise known by its unofficial nickname, "Mickey's Spinning Vortex of Death," has claimed yet another victim:

A 49-year-old German woman died after riding a rocket simulator at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park in Florida, the second person to die in less than a year after riding on Mission: SPACE, state officials said on Thursday. [...] The attraction uses spinning centrifugal force to create the sensation of a rocket launch.
Mission: SPACE reopened to the public on Thursday morning, Disney said in a statement.
In June 2005, 4-year-old Daudi Bamuwamye of Pennsylvania died after riding Mission: SPACE with his mother and losing consciousness.
​

We must caution anyone who plans on visiting the park to avoid the ride at any cost, though we can't guarantee safety at the comparatively lower-risk attractions, either: Two clog-wearing youths were recently gunned down in a tram-by shooting outside the food court in the World Showcase's English ghetto.

 

[docandsix]

I've wondered this too...

However, we experienced our longest waits for Mission: Space ever during our visit in mid-April of this year. During an only moderately busy weekday, early in the morning, the wait for the "intense" (read, "legitimate") version was in excess of 30 minutes.

That said, though, the waits NEVER approached the cosmic and inexplicable waits for Test Track and Soarin' later in the week, both of which exceeded 120 minutes at times.

My sense is that Mission: Space was expected to be a bigger hit and a greater crowd-swallower than it has become. Unfortunately, some combination of actual ride experience and intensity, perception based on bad publicity, and the apparently incomplete realization of the post-show sapped the attraction's expected impact.

 

[CaptainMichael]

I love it! It's the best thrill ride at EPCOT. Test Track and Soarin' are overrated.

 

[hemloc]

Humans are just weakling meatbags... The conquering shall be effortless, mwuhahaha:drevil:!!!

 

[ChrisFL]

We must caution anyone who plans on visiting the park to avoid the ride at any cost, though we can't guarantee safety at the comparatively lower-risk attractions, either: Two clog-wearing youths were recently gunned down in a tram-by shooting outside the food court in the World Showcase's English ghetto.

Huh???

Anyway, yes it IS a flop, every time I go to Epcot, I see 90+ minute waits for Soarin', 60+ minute waits for Test Track....5 minute waits for Mission:Space.

Disney needs to revamp the ride and give it a new name if they hope to keep people riding it

 

[jsdratm]

lol @ tram-by shooting! :lol:

I think the negative press is affecting it because most people are scared to ride the orange level and the lines are definitely short. I went on orange in October in the morning after going on Test Track. I purposefully didn't eat anything before, but was still irrationally nervous, wondering if I would be one of those 1/1000000 that have medical problems afterwards. The ride was one of the coolest experiences I have had and I felt a little dizzy afterwards, but nothing serious. It was probably comparable to getting off the dueling dragons or Hulk. I think the horror stories are overblown and you should be OK on orange as long as you stare straight ahead at the screen and don't eat anything beforehand. I never really felt sick, just kind of dizzy.

I think one of the reasons the lines are short is because it is probably a one-time per trip experience. Its not something most people would want to do more than once for fear of getting sick, whereas rides like Soarin' are very easy and the whole family can do them over and over without issues.

 

[KingStefan]

... I purposefully didn't eat anything before, ... you should be OK on orange as long as you stare straight ahead at the screen and don't eat anything beforehand ...

Every individual is different. I couldn't possibly go on without eating something light first. Even though I've been on several times, the anticipation building built into the pre-show is still pretty effective. My stomach acid pumps would kick in, and I'd be toast before I even got into the ride vehicle.

No, I have to have something light in my tummy. A few rides ago was one in which I felt the most comfortable. I had had a croisant at the Fountainview, and it was just perfect. Regretably, those are no longer available at the Fountainview, as it's been turned into an ice-cream shop.

Other times, I went on after having eated a while earlier, and I was not as comfortable. If you have any stomach acid sensitivities, going on with an empty stomach is not the right thing.

The worst was when I rode after drinking a beer. The ride itself was much more enjoyable :lol: but I had a bit of trouble getting my land legs back afterwards!

 

[CThaddeus]

I love it! It's the best thrill ride at EPCOT. Test Track and Soarin' are overrated.

I agree completely. And, unlike Test Track or Soarin', Mission: Space is actually futuristic and manages to toss a little bit of education in there, too.
I must be one of the weird ones. I've never felt so much as a bit of dizziness from the attraction, and I'm always shifting my focus from the screen to my camcorder.

 

[yankspy]

It is kind of funny because after all of the press and numerous safety warnings I find myself getting nervous when I go on now. The last time I was there I had to stop and rationalize to myself that I have been on this ride numerous times and so there is no reason to be nervous.

As far as it being a flop, I have seen twenty minute waits for it. Compared to Soarin and Test track this is nothing, but perhaps Mission Space loads faster or takes in more people at one time? I think the imagination ride seems to be the biggest attraction in need of something, not to mention the WOL pavillion.

 

[Master Yoda]

The only way we could really determine if it is a flop or not is by knowing what it's guest per hour capacity is and what it actually turns. If those numbers are close to each other it would be pretty hard to call the attraction a flop. The ride routinely has a wait and because of this I would hypothesize that it is meeting it's attendance numbers and not a flop.

M:S's big problem is that it is a very extreme ride, I would argue one of the most extreme Disney has ever done, and because of that the number of guests that can ride this attraction and enjoy it is considerably less that the ones that will like TT or Soarin.

 

[OldKeyWest]

OK has it "underpreformed"? Yes. Is it a dud like say Stitch? No. The bad media attention has really hurt it though. My advice just don't eat before or:hurl:, have a bad heart, hypertension, etc. So the vast majority of people are medicaly OK to ride it and they should because it is amazing IMO but they are just afraid because of the extremely bad media the ride got. I've been to WDW only twice since it opened May/June of '04 and Jan of '07. In '04 the line was about 100min (thank goodness for fast-pass) now in '07 it would have been a walk on but all the disclaimers slowed me down. Is it intense yes, but when I've gotten off I felt very slightly dizzy nothing more than like when you get off of a rollercoaster. Just my 2cents.

 

[wdwmagic]

I've had tip board photos from recent months showing it with a bigger standby than Test Track on occasions.

200+ minutes standby on New Years eve as well.

 

[KingStefan]

It is kind of funny because after all of the press and numerous safety warnings I find myself getting nervous when I go on now. The last time I was there I had to stop and rationalize to myself that I have been on this ride numerous times and so there is no reason to be nervous.

As far as it being a flop, I have seen twenty minute waits for it. Compared to Soarin and Test track this is nothing, but perhaps Mission Space loads faster or takes in more people at one time? I think the imagination ride seems to be the biggest attraction in need of something, not to mention the WOL pavillion.

I have to attribute the shorter lines to a lower guest interest. Whether it's a fear of getting sick, the bad publicity of the two deaths, or a lack of wanting to repeat ride, idk.

The UG gives TT, Soarin', and M:S all about the same hourly capacity (although they use different units: wait time per 100 guests). So that can't be it.

An interesting side note: the UG consulted unofficially with a real NASA astronaut who anonomously suggested that to avoid sickness, NOT riding on an empty stomach, but eating a normal meal 1-2 hours before, avoiding milk and tomatoes just beforehand. A bananna, the UG says they heard, is a good choice for a pre-flight meal. Also keep a piece of hard candy or mint in your mouth. And visit the restroom right before riding.

 

[Sam Eagle 1776]

It's scariness was grossly overhyped and at first drew big crowds but now scares them away, in the last two years, the longest i've seen the line was 35 minutes. (this was in January and Febuary though)

 

[Master Yoda]

I have to attribute the shorter lines to a lower guest interest. Whether it's a fear of getting sick, the bad publicity of the two deaths, or a lack of wanting to repeat ride, idk.

The UG gives TT, Soarin', and M:S all about the same hourly capacity (although they use different units: wait time per 100 guests). So that can't be it.

An interesting side note: the UG consulted unofficially with a real NASA astronaut who anonomously suggested that to avoid sickness, NOT riding on an empty stomach, but eating a normal meal 1-2 hours before, avoiding milk and tomatoes just beforehand. A bananna, the UG says they heard, is a good choice for a pre-flight meal. Also keep a piece of hard candy or mint in your mouth. And visit the restroom right before riding.

I would have to agree with that 100%. I am somewhat susceptible to motion sickness and I have found that having a full stomach greatly reduces my symptoms.

 

[jt04]

The "Horizons" cult will always hate M:S. Even to the point of faking motion sickness (I have proof). Personally, I never miss it as I think it is by far one of the most innovative and immersive environments Walt Disney Imagineering has ever completed. And to all the sad and weak minded out there who can't help but cower to the power of suggestion generated by the M:S haters, I want to thank you for helping keep my wait times for the ride so reasonable.

 

[maggiegrace1]

I love it! It's the best thrill ride at EPCOT. Test Track and Soarin' are overrated.

I completely disagree...I think Mission Space is overrated...

I can not stand it and think it is just pointless..:shrug:

I like Soarin..but I prefer Test Track.

Also..I do not hate it because of the deaths associated with it or the fact that it replaced Horizons..I have been on it before and hated it and thought it was dumb.

 

[imamouse]

My teen-age son is outraged that M:S has all-but become a walk-on. He thinks it's so fantastic that it should always have wait times equal to when it opened.

We were there mid-April and the wait for orange was 60 min and the wait for green (less intense) was 30 min. Although I've gone on the orange version 10-12 times, since the deaths, I've stuck to going green. There is a history of mitral valve prolapse in my family and since I don't know if I have it, I don't want to risk a M:S diagnosis.

 

[Fade_to_Blah]

I think people are just worried about it making them sick. Its a good ride...and Ill go on it one time per visit. Any more is kinda useless. I did actually enjoy the post show.....

It just cant replace Horizons though